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WHILE COVID-19 HAS IMPACTED THE US ECONOMY – WHERE THE CONSEQUENCES ARE FAR REACHING AND HERALD AN UNPRECEDENTED SERIES OF CHALLENGES FOR NORTH AMERICA – TRAILER MANUFACTURERS, COMPONENT SUPPLIERS AND THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY AT LARGE ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO ENSURE GROWTH IN 2021. Data analysis firm, ACT Research, is optimistic
orders helped drive June results, meaning
Haven, Michigan. Brian Moynihan of JOST
about the state of North America’s trailer
improvement is generally not spread
International confirmed that overall demand
manufacturing industry.
evenly across all OEMs, and we expect that
for trailers remains very soft. “Right now,
June net US trailer orders of 13,441 units
choppiness to continue as we move through
most fleets are taking a ‘wait and see’
were, according to ACT Research’s latest
the summer.
position as they determine demand for
trailer report, a significant improvement (333
“OEMs continue to seek order/build
new equipment. “Right now, trailer orders
per cent) from May’s very low comparison,
equilibrium, and while some fleets are
are off by 50 per cent. Many trailer OEMs
arriving dramatically above June 2019’s
willing to make investment commitments,
closed operations at the beginning of the
level, up 112 per cent. Before accounting for
most continue to remain on the sidelines,
pandemic. Several were closed for multiple
cancellations, new orders of 16,000 units
despite some negotiations occurring to help
weeks. We still are seeing some major OEMs
were up 117 per cent versus May and 41 per
generate order volume.”
closing for periods of time. This is mainly
cent better year-over-year. “It is important to remember that those comparisons are to exceedingly low orders during the first part of this quarter, when widespread Covid lockdowns were in place,” said ACT Research Director–CV Transportation Analysis and Research, Frank Maly.
OEMs continue to seek order/build equilibrium, and while some fleets are willing to make investment commitments, most continue to remain on the sidelines, despite some negotiations occurring to help generate order volume.
“That said, the improved sequential
North American OEM, JOST International,
to building and protecting their backlogs.
comparisons do indicate some fleets, after
established a training and troubleshooting
In recent weeks the quote activity has been
assessing current market conditions, are
platform earlier this year to support its
strong. Many of the large truck load carriers
beginning to cautiously commit to capital
customers amid Covid-19. The company
that were standing on the side lines are now
expenditures. “Discussions indicated that large fleet
specialises in landing gear and fifth wheel
starting to send out RFQs for new trailers for
product lines from its head office in Grand
late 2020 and into 2021.”
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Trailer Magazine NOVEMBER 20
